UMass Boston

About the Program

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Native American and Indigenous Studies Program (NAIS) is an undergraduate interdisciplinary program, currently offering a minor that is open to all students at UMass Boston. Successful completion of the minor is recorded on a student’s official university transcript.

Requirements

The minor in Native American and Indigenous studies requires the completion of 3 required courses and 3 elective courses for a total of 18 credits.

Online Course Catalog, Summer 2026 and Fall 2026 Required Courses

Minor information, along with all course requirements are listed on the Native American and Indigenous Studies Minor page in the online course catalog.

2026 Summer Course Offerings NAIS

ANTH 106    Introduction to Cultural Anthropology
ANTH 263     Environmental Anthropology
ANTH 273     Peoples and Cultures of Mesoamerica (Mexico and Guatemala)
ANTH 273    Peoples and Cultures of Mesoamerica (Mexico and Guatemala)
WGS 270    Native American Women in North America

2026 Fall Course Offerings NAIS

ANTH 106    Introduction to Cultural Anthropology
ANTH 106    Introduction to Cultural Anthropology
ANTH 220G    Indigenous Peoples and Cultural Change in Amazonia
ANTH 220G    Indigenous Peoples and Cultural Change in Amazonia
ANTH 224G    The Rise and Fall of the Maya
ANTH 224G    The Rise and Fall of the Maya
ANTH 263    Environmental Anthropology
ANTH 264    Shamanisms: Anthropological Perspectives
ANTH/ART 269L    Anthropology of the Objects and the Objectified: an Interdisciplinary Approach to Things
**Waiver form needed
ANTH 273    Peoples and Cultures of Mesoamerica (Mexico and Guatemala)
ANTH 274    Peoples and Cultures of the Caribbean
ANTH/NAIS 333L    Indigenous and Colonial Heritage in Popular Music
ANTH 270L    Native Peoples of North America
HIST 185    Mascots, Monuments, Massacres: Native American History 
in the Public Sphere
**Waiver form needed
HIST255L    Gods and Slaves: Latin American before 1800
**Waiver form needed
ANTH/NAIS/HIST 278L    Introduction to Native American and Indigenous Studies
**Requirement
NAIS 488    Working for Native Communities: Internship/Directed Studies
**Requirement
WGS 270    Native American Women in North America
WGS 295    Introduction to Human Rights
WGS 360    Gender, Culture, Power

Goals of the Native American and Indigenous Studies Program

  • to add complexity to “history” through teaching about diverse Native American and Indigenous histories and experiences
  • to explore social, political, economic, cultural, and environmental issues affecting Indigenous people, communities, and nations in the United States and around the world, both past and present
  • to equip students with methodological and theoretical tools for living in our complex and interconnected world
  • to engage with Indigenous peoples, communities and issues in local, global, and transnational perspectives
  • to engage the University of Massachusetts Boston’s urban mission by attracting, supporting and retaining Indigenous students, and working with local community partners to establish a strong presence and support for Native students and NAIS academic studies

Additionally, students will have opportunities to partner with Indigenous communities and organizations in a service learning and research capacity through the semester-long practicum designed to be done toward the end of their career at UMass Boston.

Where Do I Go for Additional Information?

To receive additional information about the program or to enroll in the minor, you can contact us by phone at 617.287.6860 or via email at Maria.John@umb.edu.